intl student.. chances??

<p>im from karachi, pakistan. Please evaluate my stats and tell me if i stand a chance at swarthmore...</p>

<p>SAT: M 720 CR 760 W 710 (9 in essay)
SATII: M1 800 M2 780 Physics 800
School does not rank students nor does it calculate gpa.</p>

<p>I study in the british educational system (A-Levels) and obtained straight As in my advanced-subsidiary level examinations. I am bilingual.</p>

<p>ECs:
President, Society for amateur scientists.
4 hrs of teaching at a community school every saturday for 2 years.
Represented school and country at the Global Young Leaders Conference in NY/DC.
Represented school at the Young Leaders Conference in Islamabad.
Volunteered for the Youth Initiative for Peace's art show featuring Pakistani and Indian artists painting for peace.
Council member, economics society.
Been playing squash for 5 years though never participated in competitions.</p>

<p>Awards:
Straight As in AS-Levels
Scored 74 on the Uni of Waterloo's Euclid mathematics contest, (top 9%).
Won gold medal and certificate of achievement at the Karachi Club genius hunt competition.
1st prize, annual science fair.
1st prize for academic performance in grade 11.
2nd prize for academic performance in grade 10.
Breton medal for math.
Principals medal for Urdu.</p>

<p>essays: average
recommendations: great</p>

<p>will be asking for aid (abt 70%) :(</p>

<p>rizkid:</p>

<p>It is impossible for any of us to give even rough odds for international applicants. There are so many factors involved such as your particular school, the number and quality of applicants from your country, financial aid considerations, and so forth.</p>

<p>You certainly appear to have a top-notch academic record (looks like you are probably ranked #1 in your class. And, your extracurricular interests look appropriate for Swarthmore. So, I would say that, in general, you are a good candidate. How that translates into "odds" I just don't know.</p>

<p>If your school is one that sends a number of students to US colleges each year, your guidance counselor may be in the best position to guess.</p>

<p>thanx idad.</p>

<p>since i am from pakistan i have never actually visited swarthmore... the only information i have is from their website... could u please give me some tips to make my "why swarthmore" essay really persuasive?</p>

<p>rizkid:</p>

<p>One thing to do is decide which of your interests (academic and EC) you want to feature on your application. Then, start doing some searches on the Swat website to learn a bit about those areas of interest at Swarthmore.</p>

<p>To the extent that you can learn about the general culture of Swarthmore and/or specifics about things you would be involved in on campus, you can write a good Why Swarthmore essay. Ultimately, the goal is to let the admissions readers see a real live interesting teenager and picture you adding something to the campus community.</p>

<p>For example, a major theme running throughout Swarthmore is an interest by the school and students to learn about the cultures and communities of the world -- particularly in a way that cuts through Western media stereotypes. As a Pakistani, you could bring a valuable perspective to that endeavor. I would think that your participation in the Young Leaders conferences would be something that fits nicely with Swarthmore. Just from reading your resume list, I think Swarthmore would be interested in learning more about your teaching in a community school. A core part of Swarthmore's mission statement is for graduates to use their education to give something back to their communities...part of what President Bloom calls "ethical intelligence".</p>

<p>My main advice is to have some fun with the essay and let your personality shine through. So the cues about actual topics have to come from your particular interests.</p>

<p>thanx a bunch!!! u rock!</p>